Deborah Chan
Princess Diana and King Charles' 1981 honeymoon has been described as a honeymoon from hell and a disaster. The couple, who had a 12-year age gap, had different ideas about how to spend their time on board the ship, with Diana wanting to spend time talking with her new husband, and Charles wanting to paint, read, and write. During one particularly intense fight, Diana destroyed Charles' painting and all his art materials. The honeymoon was also marred by the presence of Charles' ex-girlfriend, Camilla Parker Bowles, who later became his wife. Diana later admitted that their honeymoon was not perfect and that she had felt bored and frustrated with Charles' choice of activities.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Honeymoon Date | July 29, 1981 |
| Honeymoon Duration | 11-14 days |
| Honeymoon Destination | Royal Yacht Britannia, Egypt, Balmoral estate |
| Honeymoon Issues | Princess Diana's frustration with Prince Charles' choice of activities, his ongoing relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles, their age difference |
| Destroyed Items | Prince Charles' paintings and art supplies |
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What You'll Learn
- Princess Diana and Prince Charles had blazing rows during their honeymoon
- Prince Charles' ex-girlfriend, Camilla Parker Bowles, was a source of contention
- Princess Diana was bored and frustrated with Prince Charles' choice of activities
- Princess Diana wanted to spend more time with Prince Charles
- Princess Diana destroyed Prince Charles' painting and art supplies
Princess Diana and Prince Charles had blazing rows during their honeymoon
Princess Diana and Prince Charles had a less than ideal honeymoon, with the couple reportedly having "blazing rows" throughout their 11-day trip on the Royal Yacht Britannia. The trip was marred by several factors, including their 12-year age difference, Charles' ongoing relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles, and Diana's battle with bulimia.
According to royal biographer Penny Junor, Princess Diana "destroyed" some of Prince Charles's belongings during their honeymoon. In her book "The Duchess", Junor writes that Charles had brought along watercolors, canvases, and books that he intended to enjoy during the trip. Diana, however, was not a fan of reading or painting and felt that her husband was ignoring her. She resented him spending hours at his easel, and the couple had many arguments.
On one occasion, when Charles was painting on the veranda deck of Britannia, he stepped away for half an hour. When he returned, he found that Diana had destroyed his painting and all his art materials. This incident was also recounted by Princess Diana herself in a Channel 4 documentary, where she spoke about her jealousy over cufflinks given to Charles by his ex-girlfriend, Camilla Parker Bowles.
Despite the troubles during their honeymoon, Princess Diana wrote in a letter to her family’s former housekeeper that she and Charles had a “glorious time” and called the honeymoon a “tremendous success”. However, this account contradicted what she later told her voice coach, indicating that the trip was not as positive as she initially portrayed it to be.
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Prince Charles' ex-girlfriend, Camilla Parker Bowles, was a source of contention
Princess Diana and Prince Charles had a tumultuous honeymoon period, marked by "blazing rows" and jealousy. One particular incident involved Princess Diana destroying Prince Charles's paintings and art supplies. This incident is said to have been triggered by Prince Charles's ex-girlfriend, Camilla Parker Bowles, who sent him a pair of cufflinks with the initials "C" and "P" entwined, resembling the Chanel logo. Princess Diana interpreted this gesture as a sign of Camilla's ongoing presence in her husband's life, sparking a heated argument between the couple.
Camilla Parker Bowles, now Queen Camilla, was a source of contention in Prince Charles's marriage to Princess Diana. Their relationship began in the early 1970s, before Prince Charles joined the Royal Navy. However, Camilla ended up marrying Andrew Parker Bowles in 1973, as Prince Charles was away serving in the Navy. Prince Charles, on the other hand, married Lady Diana Spencer in 1981, after a brief period of dating starting in 1980.
Despite their marriages, it is believed that Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles resumed their romance in 1986, while they were both still married to their respective spouses. This affair caused a significant divide in Prince Charles's marriage to Princess Diana and led to their separation in 1992. In a 1989 phone conversation between Charles and Camilla, later released in 1993, their interaction was deemed suggestive and explicit, causing a scandal.
After their divorces, Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles took their relationship public in 1999, although it took years for their romance to gain acceptance within the royal family. They eventually married in 2005 and, following Queen Elizabeth II's death in 2022, they became King and Queen of England.
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Princess Diana was bored and frustrated with Prince Charles' choice of activities
Princess Diana and Prince Charles' honeymoon was a "honeymoon from hell", with the princess later admitting that it was not perfect. The couple had ""blazing rows"" throughout their 11-day trip on the Royal Yacht Britannia, with Princess Diana ""destroying" some of Prince Charles' belongings.
Princess Diana was likely bored and frustrated with Prince Charles' choice of activities. While he wanted to swim, read, paint, and write thank-you notes, Princess Diana wanted to spend more time talking with her new husband. She was not a big fan of reading and hated the books that Prince Charles had brought along. She also resented him spending hours at his easel painting, feeling that he was ignoring her.
Princess Diana later told her voice coach about her honeymoon:
> "On our honeymoon, cufflinks arrive on his wrists, two Cs entwined like the Chanel 'C.' Got it. One knew exactly. So I said, 'Camilla gave you those, didn't she?' He said, 'Yes, so what's wrong? They're a present from a friend.' And boy, did we have a row. Jealousy, total jealousy. And it was such a good idea—the two Cs—but it wasn't that clever."
Princess Diana's frustration with Prince Charles' choice of activities during their honeymoon is indicative of the issues in their marriage, which was not a happy or fulfilling one. The couple had very little in common, and their 12-year age difference also caused problems during their honeymoon and beyond.
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Princess Diana wanted to spend more time with Prince Charles
Princess Diana and Prince Charles' honeymoon in 1981 was far from idyllic. The couple had "blazing rows" throughout their 11-day trip on the Royal Yacht Britannia, with Princess Diana even going so far as to destroy some of Prince Charles' belongings, including his paints and art supplies.
The honeymoon was the first indication that the couple's marriage was not a happy or fulfilling one. Their issues were compounded by their 12-year age difference, Prince Charles' ongoing relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles, and Princess Diana's battle with bulimia, which she later admitted began around the time of their engagement.
Princess Diana later admitted that their honeymoon was not perfect, and that Charles' ex-girlfriend, Camilla Parker Bowles, was a point of contention. In a Channel 4 documentary, she spoke about how she confronted Prince Charles about cufflinks given to him by Camilla, with the initials "C" and "C" entwined. Princess Diana said:
> "On our honeymoon, cufflinks arrive on his wrists... Two Cs entwined like the Chanel 'C.' Got it. One knew exactly. So I said, 'Camilla gave you those, didn’t she?' He said, 'Yes, so what’s wrong? They’re a present from a friend.' And boy, did we have a row. Jealousy, total jealousy. And it was such a good idea—the two Cs—but it wasn’t that clever."
Despite the troubles on their honeymoon, Princess Diana wrote to her family's former housekeeper, Maud Pendrey, that she and Prince Charles had a "glorious time" and a "tremendous success."
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Princess Diana destroyed Prince Charles' painting and art supplies
Princess Diana and Prince Charles's honeymoon in 1981 was far from idyllic. The couple had numerous blazing rows throughout their 11-day trip on the Royal Yacht Britannia, during which Princess Diana destroyed some of Prince Charles's belongings, including his painting and art supplies.
According to royal author Penny Junor, Princess Diana was unhappy with Prince Charles's choice of activities during their honeymoon. While Charles wanted to swim, read, paint, and write thank-you notes, Diana wanted to spend more time talking with her new husband. In her book "The Duchess", Junor writes:
> "He'd taken along his watercolors, some canvases, and a pile of books by the Afrikaner mystic and writer Laurens van der Post, which he'd hoped he and Diana might share and then discuss in the evenings," [...] "Diana, however, was no great reader. She hated his wretched books and was offended that he might prefer to bury his head in one of them rather than sit and talk to her. She resented him sitting for hours at his easel, too, and they had many blazing rows."
On one particular day, when Prince Charles was painting on the veranda deck of Britannia, he left his painting and art supplies unattended for half an hour. When he returned, he found that Princess Diana had destroyed his painting and all his materials.
The couple's differing interests and age gap, as well as Prince Charles's ongoing relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles, contributed to the tension and unhappiness during their honeymoon. Despite this, Princess Diana wrote to her family's former housekeeper, describing the honeymoon as a tremendous success and a glorious time.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, according to royal author Penny Junor, Princess Diana destroyed Prince Charles' paints and other art supplies during their honeymoon.
Princess Diana and Prince Charles had different ideas about how to spend their honeymoon. Princess Diana wanted to spend time talking with her new husband, whereas Prince Charles wanted to paint, read, and write. Princess Diana was offended that he might prefer to do these activities rather than spend time with her.
No, Princess Diana and Prince Charles had blazing rows during their honeymoon. Princess Diana also discovered that Prince Charles was still in contact with his ex-girlfriend, Camilla Parker Bowles, which caused further tension.
